I was recently asked by eFinancialCareers.com “what should a person do if a job offer is put on hold?” Here is what I shared:
If a job offer is put on hold, I suggest the following:
- Follow up with a note of thanks that emphasizes the value that you add to the organization. Sometimes it helps to show that the ROI of offering you a job is more beneficial to the employer than the cost savings of not offering the job at all.
- Suggest a temp-to-perm or contractor role on a trial basis. This is your best way to get your foot in the door. TTP and Contractors offer a direct cost-savings vs a full-time employee because they are not paid benefits and do not count towards an employers mandatory employer tax burdens. While this may not be an ideal way to start off, it secures income and allows you to perform on the job rather than not having the job at all. Consider it like one of those 30-Day Money Back Guarantees that we see so much on TV these days. Their risk is minimize and you can really excel if you save the employer while they are in a pinch.
- Continue pursuing other opportunities. Until you have a firm offer, you don’t have a job. It is in your best interest to continue to pursue other job opportunities because you never know – something better may come along and/or the current offer may fall through.
Just as a bonus…
Why job offers are put on hold:
- Hiring Manager is still unsure that you are the best fit for the job (or they may still be unsure about what they want from the person in the role).
- The company is considering re-aligning internally and want to give their experiment time to catch on or not.
- You have a snag in your references or background check (if this is the case then I suggest looking for a new position especially if they uncover a lie or some other misleading information about what you have previously communicated to them).
- The company wants to wait until a new fiscal season to ensure budget allows bringing someone on.
- Hiring Manager would like to see more candidates.
